New sensation of freedom
BMW i8: STATE-OF-THE-ART VIRTUALLY SILENT MOTORING WITH ZERO CO2 EMISSIONS
The world’s highest-selling hybrid sports car since it was introduced in 2014.
The BMW i8 has performed the role of sports car of the future with extraordinary success since the day it was launched. The progressively designed 2+2-seater doubles up as an eye-catching object of desire and a technological pioneer.
The i8 has been the world’s highest-selling hybrid sports car since it first hit the roads in 2014 and has collected an array of awards in recognition of its visionary design and trailblazing vehicle concept.
The BMW i8’s plug-in hybrid drive system has won the International Engine of the Year Award three years in succession (20152017) and paved the way for the constantly expanding number of plug-in hybrid models from the BMW and Mini brands.
Now the allure of sustainable driving pleasure is poised to enter another dimension.
The new BMW i8 Roadster takes the i8’s combination of emission-free mobility and high-calibre performance and sprinkles the drop-top driving experience into the mix.
The Roadster exudes a whole new sensation of freedom, opening the door to virtually silent motoring with zero CO2 emissions and bringing an extra edge of purity to open-air motoring.
Local sales commenced at the end of May 2018.
The Roadster will be joined in showrooms by the new version of the equally powered BMW i8 Coupe.
Both models are based on the LifeDrive vehicle architecture designed for BMW i cars.
The aluminium Drive module brings together the powertrain, high-voltage battery, suspension, crash system and structural functions, while the Life module takes the form of a passenger cell hewn from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
The broad, wide-opening lid guarantees an emotionally engaging driving experience shaped in no small part by the sun and on-rushing air.
The BMW i8 Roadster is alone among its rivals in offering owners a fabric soft-top which stows away into a perpendicular position and therefore takes up very little space.
The three segments of the roof
fold vertically in a Z.
And between the roof box and the seats for the driver and front passenger is around 100l of additional storage space. Together with the load area in the rear, which can accommodate 88l of cargo, the rear compartment helps to ensure the open-top version of the plug-in hybrid sports car is also as well equipped as possible for everyday use.
Rigorously further developed BMW eDrive technology powers both the BMW i8 Roadster and new BMW i8 Coupe.
The number of driving situations where the electric motor is solely responsible for powering the car has been significantly increased. The combustion engine is only brought into play when accelerating hard, and is switched off again far more frequently with a measured driving style.
The optimised operating strategy of the intelligent energy management underscores the future-focused character of the new
BMW i8 Coupe and ensures drivers of the new Roadster can enjoy silent open-top motoring with zero local emissions to the full.
Underpinning this new level of locally emission-free electric mobility is the updated version of the lithium-ion battery developed for the BMW i8.
The high-voltage unit is located centrally in the car’s underbody and its cell capacity is up from 20 to 34 Ah.
All of which means the electric motor has more energy at its disposal. Plus, the cell configuration allows a 9kW increase in peak output to 105kW, lacing quick sprints on pure-electric power with an even sharper streak of dynamism.
The electric range of the i8 has also been increased.
The new BMW i8 Roadster can now cover up to 53km with zero local emissions in the NEDC test cycle and the new BMW i8 Coupe up to 55km. And that broadens the reach of all-electric mobility well beyond the city limits.